Foster+Partners is making their mark in Amsterdam with their newly completed towers housing the headquarters for Ernst & Young. Standing 24 stories tall, the new tower has been dubbed the “gateway” to the Vivaldi Park area of a new Zuidas district development south of Amsterdam. While it is arguable that the new Ernst & Young headquarters is not nearly as highly designed of as some of our past Foster + Partners postings, there are at least two things that we can guarantee about this new design: the building is completed and it is exceeding targeted Dutch environmental standards.

The structure’s facade, which is made up of steel diagrid and a combination of opaque and translucent glazing on all sides, has the Ernst & Young headquarters operating more than 10 percent above current efficiency standards. The resulting interior spaces include an expansive three story entrance atrium and double height conference facilities that are constantly flooded by natural daylight.

The structure of the building allows for large open floor plans that can accommodate change over the building’s lifecycle without the obstruction of interior columns. Also included in the sustainable solution is a ground water storage system which retains up to 65 percent of the rainwater on site. The system features an ecological pond at the entry level of the building which serves as a nice accompaniment to the public spaces including a restaurant, terrace, auditorium and bar.